Method of manufacturing spikes or nails



(No Model.)

METHOD OF MANUFAGTURING SPIK-ES AND NAILS.

No. 457,583. Patented Aug. 11, 1891.

i (Mummy. 7 WM {5% $04 2) MP3 ,ing had to the accompanying drawings, and

to produce a series of spikes of a uniform con- UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

IVILLIAM GOLDIE, OF EST BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

METHOD OF'MANUFACTURING SPIKES OR NAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,583, dated August11, 1891.

Application filed December 29, 1890 To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM GOLDIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vest Bay City, in the county of Bay and State'of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Method ofManufacturing Spikes or Nails; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference heto the letters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of spikes ornails, and pertains to the manufacture of that class of nails or spikeswhich are severed from a rolled bar of metal by transverse cuts.

The objects of this invention are to reduce the cost of manufacturingnails or spikes and tour, size, and quality; and another object is toprovide a cheap and reliable means of producing a sharp and clean edgeupon the point or puncturing end of a spike or nail of the commonvariety, 'cut transversely from the end of a rolled metal plate or bar;and the invention consists in the method or process of forming ablank-bar for the manufacture of spikes by cutting the bar transverselyby first rolling the bar to the thickness of the spike and to a width ofdouble the length of the spike to be made, and with flanges projectingfrom the sides of the lateral edges for forming the head of the spikes,and with a longitudinal shallow groove in both sides of the bar in themiddle of its width and a thin web portion between the groo\-'es, thendividing the bar and forming two complete bars at one operation, eachprovided with a sharp edge, by severing the said web portion with aV-shaped longitudinal cut; and the invention also consists in the methodof manufacturing spikes or nails by first rolling a double bar to thethickness of the body of the spike or nail and to a width of double thelength of the spike or nail, and with longitudinal flanges projecting onone or both sides of both edges and with the middle portion of its widthreduced in thickness by a longitudinal groove on one or both sides, thenSerial No. 376,171. (No model.)

dividing the bar longitudinally into two single bars by making aV-shaped cut in one or both sides of the said reduced middle portion,then completing the spikes by severing the said single bars by a seriesof transverse cuts.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the operation of carrying out myimproved method.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a bar partly prepared by myimproved method for the manufacture of spikes. Fig. 2 is the same withthe bar arranged with a different contour. Fig. 3 is a double bar rolledin a form to produce two bars shown in Fig. 1, and arranged for carryingout my improved method. Fig. & is a bar arranged for producing two barsshown in Fig. 2 by the operation of my improved method. Fig. 5 is anail-plate arranged for carrying out my improved method. Fig. 6 shows afinished spike of the form produced from the bar shown in Fig. 2 bymyimproved method.

A is a bar having a width of double the length of a spike which is to bemade, and on each lateral edge portion are formed two flanges c and d,projecting in opposite directions, and these flanges are provided with aproper contour to form the head of the spike, and the portions 1) of thebar adjacent to the heads are provided with parallel sides, which formthe body portion of the spike, and centrally between the portions 1) arearranged on opposite sides of the bar the longitudinal grooves o and p,which form sloping surfaces 6 and f, and the thin web portion q,centrally located between the grooves and sloping surfaces. The bar isformed to the contour desired by rolling in the common way between rollshaving their peripheries provided with surfaces of the proper contourfor reducing 'the bar to the desired form for producing spikes from thebar by a series of transverse cuts, and it will be seen that the doublebar severing the double bar into two single bars a, (shown in Figs. 1and 2,) provides each of the bars with a keen sharp edge 4 at a singleoperation. The bars a thus finished are passed through suitable cuttingmachinery, and pieces of the proper width to form a spike are severedtherefrom by transverse cuts and produce spikes similar in form andfinish to that shown in Fig. 6, with a rectangular body portion havingparallel sides and with a head portion projecting from the front andrear sides of its upper end, while the point-portion is provided with aclean and sharp cuttingedge, which, when driven, divides the grain ofthe timber without breaking and mutilation and leaves the spike true andstraight, and without the liability of turning or twisting.

It willbe noticed, of course, that this method of manufacturing spikesgreatly reduces the labor required to form acomplete and perfect spike,as by rolling the bar with a reduced middle portion and with itsopposite edges provided with flanges for the head portion of the spikesallows the bar in cooling to contract equally on both sides and edgesand remain true and straight, and then by making the centrallongitudinal cut j with a suitable tool of a V form both bars when outapart are provided with a most perfect edge at one operation and at thesame time, and from which a series of spikes out will be perfect in formand point and each will be a complete duplicate of the other, so thatperfect uniformity of size and contour is acquired,while an edge uponthe point is provided which severs the grain or fiber of the wood as itenters the tie without mutilation or breaking down.

In rolling the double bar, if preferred, a centrally-located V-groovecan be rolled in one side of the reduced middle portion q, and then bymaking the V-cut in the opposite side the bar will be divided into twosingle bars, and the edges of the single bars will then be provided withthe thin cutting-edge before described, so that I do not limit myinvention altogether to making the cut with the tool on both sides ofthe thin portion q, as the most important feature of my improved processlies in forming the thin cutting-edge upon both bars by one and the sameoperation and at the same time the double bar is cut apart, whereby asaving of time and labor is obtained and perfect and uniform spikes aremade.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The herein-described method offorming blank-bars for the manufacture of finished spikes by cutting thebar transversely, and consisting of first rolling a bar to the thicknessof the spike and to awidth of double the length of the spike to be made,and with flanges projecting from the sides of their lateral edges forforming the head of the spikes and with a longitudinal shallow groove inboth sides of the bar in the middle of its width, and a thin web portionbetween the grooves, then dividing the bar and forming two complete barsat one operation, each provided with a sharp edge, by severing the saidweb portion with a V-shaped longitudinal cut, substantially as setforth.

2. The herein-described method of manufacturing spikes or nails,consisting, essentially, in first rolling a double bar to a form andthickness transversely corresponding to a longitudinal section of twospikes having their points joined together end to end by a thin web,then dividing the said double bar into two single bars with theiradjacent edges made sharp and even by making a V-shaped longitudinal cutthrough the said thin web portion, then finishing the spike by dividingthe said single bars by a series of transverse cuts, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM GOLDIE.

Witnesses GEo. P. THOMAS, JAS. E. THOMAS.

